A Woman's Word And A Cat's Meow
The Revival of the Trojan Horse Helen was a woman known for both her charm and charisma. Even if she was the ugliest woman in the world, her powerful words would be enough to rally nations. However, this combined with her beauty was a deadly weapon. One the World Government was looking to stop no matter the cost but life continued. No matter how large or dangerous the sword hanging over her head might be, she would continue her work for the good of the world. The Revolutionaries had recently assigned to her a very special task, one that involved freeing a government territory. In need of an army she spoke to the masses and true to the rumors, they raised their weapons to fight alongside Helen, boarding the massive ship crafted by her own Empire they set sail. On the journey Helen continued to boost morale, considering it would take about a week or so to actually get there and they were certain to meet enemies on the seas considering the targetted islands importance to the World Government and that was when Helen decided to alert her people. Standing near the wheel of the large ship, everyone gathered on the deck to listen. "It pains me to say that there are sharks in the water, sniffing for blood and in our current state we are wounded, leading them right to us." It was a reference to the ship. "I did not want it to come to such extreme measures, and I am terribly sorry for what might await us ahead but no matter what happens... we must stand together and fight." There was no way this mission had gone unnoticed, they would receive resistance if they were not careful, which was why Helen thought of a plan. The people didn't cheer or clap, they only listened, on their toes at her next words. "The World Government will come, but they will not prevail. Their efforts against the good are futile when the world so clearly wants us to win. When they are backed into a corner on all sides, be it pirates, people, or us, they will stop at nothing, throwing their morals out like rabid dogs. This island, they are suffering, just as we all have by the corrupted hand of those who act as judge and jury of justice. Blinded by power, we will cure them by stripping them of this disease!" Now they cheered, men through their hats and raised their blades, ready to fight. Only one precaution needed to be made, "TROJAN HORSE!" Helen called out amongst the noise, raising a hand to her plump lips and blowing softly, a pink mist flew around the ship, to anyone looking, it would appear as a marine vessel. Helen's attempt to arrive unnoticed. ---- Within a marine base miles away, a young chocolate skinned girl with luscious deep purple hair ran through its halls, weaving around the many marines and marine affiliates with their own agenda’s. The young girl stopped abruptly in front of a large reception desk, startling the fair skinned woman who sat their filing through papers. “Commodore Black Anysia reporting for duty, Ma’am!” The girl said with a salut, puffing her chest up as she did so. “Over enthusiastic as always, aren’t we, Anysia?” The woman said with a small smile in reaction to the girls demeanor. The woman then turned her chair around, typing on a small pc, arriving to Anysia’s file, before printing out a few pages and stuffing them into a cream colored file. “Here you go, Anysia, these are your mission orders, good luck!” The woman said, letting off a reassuring smile. “Thanks!” Anysia responded, rushing off in the direction of the docks where her ship and underlings would be waiting, reviewing the file she’d been given all while weaving through the crowds and bursting from the Marine buildings doors. “''Revolutionaries huh? This should be fun!''” Anysia though to herself, making her way to the docks, now appearing in her view. ---- Several hours after acquiring her orders, Anysia sailed across the seas, map in hand and a few underlings doting around the ship and preparing to make contact with their enemies. Anysia scanned the oceans with her eyes along with the map, “This should be their route coming up ahead, guess we’ll find out soon if our information is correct.” Anysia spoke to herself, rising above the horizon line, peering into the seas diligently in search of her target. As she arrived at the designated checkpoint, her eyes would soon be set on a fellow marine ship sailing on the exact course she’d been set to watch. “Why are they here?! I should’ve been the only ship set for this area, even if I wasn’t why are they on the exact course?!” Anysia said ima loud grumble, her eyes glued to what seemed like an idiotic marine ship. A young marine captain approached Anysia from behind, saluting her before calling her attention. “Commodore Black Anysia, Ma’am! I’ll take a boat over to that marine ship and get a report for you!” The marine captain said, dropping his salut as he finished his statement Anysia would nod in affirmation, turning her attention back to the ship as the young marine captain sailed over to it on what looked like a small fishing boat. “I’m reporting from the ship of Commodore Black Anysia, please state your business in this area, as our ship is the only vessel assigned to this area!” The marine captain yelled from the small boat he resided within, yelling from the very edge of the large marine ship. Though it was not at all what she planned, it would have to make do. As the man approached, he would be able to see every revolutionary on the ship dressed as a marine, while Helen was dressed normally, only adding a white cape with golden shoulder pads to her elegant dress. Her attractiveness, in and out of illusions, was something to behold, and though beauty will always lie in the eye of the beholder, Helen was undoubtedly one of God's finer creations. Her blonde locks flew in the wind, her delicate and feminine facial features glowing in the sun, looking down towards the captain in the small boat, she prepared to explain the situation as best as she could but it seemed there was a rebel in their midst because the minute she opened her mouth to speak, a cannon fired, blowing the captains boat right out of the water. The pink mist faded and the Spartan warship was revealed, with the beautiful Helen standing at an astounding nineteen feet and five inches tall, though there were other Spartans taller than her mixed in with revolutionary's and normal people who came due to her powerful lure, her position on the upper deck along with her radiating beauty made her stand out. This was undoubtedly the beginning of a treacherous battle, all because of one of her very own soldiers and their bloodlust. The Veil has Been Burned “AHHHHHHH” The young marine screamed in terror as the ear splitting bang of the cannon went off, sending a cannon ball directly at him, leaving him a sitting duck in the face of unescapable death. Before the boys body was blown to smithereens, a large flash of light could be seen followed by a large explosion, disturbing the peace of the waves, shooting the marine captains boat several feet back with him in tow, now floating on the upside down boat, a flustered and terrified look on his face, terror deep in his eyes. To any normal onlooker the explosion would’ve happened almost instantaneously, so fast the timeline of events would be almost impossible to deduce without the some experienced use of haki. However, to the more watchful and powerful eye they would’ve seen another cannon ball collide with the initial one, slamming together and triggering a sting explosion, the origins of the second cannon ball seemed to be...the commodore own hands? “So this is the revolutionary ship I’ve been sent to intercept, good thing they showed themselves, they wouldn’t have tricked me anyway!” Anysia said stoically, holding a more than large cannon ball under her arm, similar in fashion to how one would hold a basketball. She would then peer over the ship, turning her attention to her underling who would be floating on the seas below her. “You okay down there?!” Anysia yelled, her hand cupping her mouth to increase her sound and reach, eyeing the boy curiously. “A o-okay” the young marine responded in a flustered tone, shooting a shaky thumbs up in accordance to his words. “Good, we can’t waste any time in taking in these criminals, hold tight, I’ll get you in just a moment!” Anysia’s responded before cocking her arm back, cannon ball in her hand and launching it forward at explosive speeds, almost as if it was a shot put. The cannon ball would move in flashes, warping at the sheer speed of its movement aimed directly at the giant woman, Anysia wasting no time in identifying the blonde bombshell. Helen was a Spartan, naturally, she knew Haki and what she saw, though she hated to admit it, scared her. The woman had seemingly thrown a cannonball to intercept her own ships, Helen came to the conclusion that this captain had a great value and she was mad at her own troops for disrespecting her wishes, but now was no time for punishment, it was war. Making direct eye contact with the dark-skinned woman on the other ship, she commanded the sailor to forge ahead. It was only when a cannonball was thrown her way that things went awry, though she could have reacted, dodged or ducked, there was no need. Another Spartan, one around twenty-three feet tall with building muscles and shiny armor leaped in front of her, taking the shot. It knocked the wind right out of him, while also destroying his armor, but thanks to his size and power, he lived. As her ship trudged forward, Helen commanded her troops not to attack, not quite yet. She had something to say that no blade or fist could get across. Waiting until the ships were practically sided by side, Helen said confidently, projecting her voice to make sure everyone could hear, "I am Helen of Troy and you will move your ship from my path and surrender to me or suffer a fate far worse than death." She was as serious as she was beautiful, and in the crowds, no one said a thing, they were too afraid, and not just of Helen. “Tch. Yea, we’ll see about that!” Anysia remarked, staring dead at Helen, not affected by her words or beauty, only driven by the marines resolve to rid the oceans of the scum known as Revolutionaries and Pirates. “Bring me some more cannon balls, let’s see just how many hits this lady can take!” Anysia said intensely, ripping off her coat, showing off her lean but defined figure that would’ve otherwise been hidden. Soon a few marine captains would arrive struggling to hold up the intense weight of the cannon balls, handing them to Anysia as two of them struggled to even hold one. Anysia effortlessly picked up one after one, lobbing them all at the approaching boat at even higher speeds than before. As she got to her last too cannon balls, having fired off about six, the last two would ignite in her hands as a flaming cat tail would sprout from her back side, forked in two, and small flecks of purple fire would ignite on each side of her head, almost like cat ears. She would then launch the two balls after the previously thrown ones, moving even faster than the rest, the flames still bellowing even at the high speeds the ball was moving. This girl was no woman, she lacked the elegance and femininity, luckily Helen had enough for the both of them! The woman began to seemingly strip, so tasteless. Activating her Kenbunshoku Haki she managed to doge the cannon balls, even with her enemies impressive speed and strength, cannon balls were large and a gun would have been much more reliable. Even when the woman sprouted fiery cat features, Helen remained unphased. The Spartan Soldier's by her side came forward once again to block these fiery shots, and as they were thrown they fought through the pain, the blunt hit, the burning, these were strong men and trained warriors, they would not let a kitten tarnish their reputation. "I will pray, for your sake, that the fruit has blessed you with the nine lives of a cat as well." Helen said, standing tall and confident as always, practically mocking the marine with her words, claiming that she would die on this field. Helen wasn't so sure this was true, but weakness was something an enemy could detect and something she would not show. With the commodore and Helen focused on each other, Helen's ship had begun to think for itself, with their powerful cannons taking aim at the marine ship and firing, repeating the process over and over in hopes of damaging their ship. Meanwhile, grappling hooks were swung, wrapping around and clinging onto the edge of the marine boat, allowing for revolutionaries to board. “For all that talk, you have no bite, seems like your ships doing all the biting for you!” Anysia responded in her normally loud tone. She watched as the cannon balls would fire at her own ship, however she didn’t move and inch to stop it. The cannons would slam against her ship to no effect, only some slight tremors could be felt, and even then Anysia stood tall and did not waver, the same couldn’t be said for her unsteady underlings, a few of them inches from falling from the ship. As the grappling hooks hooked onto her ship Anysia smiled, the sun would beam down upon her in an overdramatic fashion, brightening her velvet textured hair and dark beautiful skin as she stood stood and smiled stoically, watched the revolutionaries begin to board the ship. “Yes, come to me, this saves me a lot of work after all!” Anysia mocked the giant men. As their feet hit the deck and they felt solid ground it would not be for long as Anysia would extend a swift and powerful kick, her leg bursting into purple flames as she did so, sending a flaming slash of purple flames right at the line of men converging on her ship, “RANKYAKU!” Anysia yelled, demonstrating her prowess over one of the several forms of Rokushiki, slashing into each of the soldiers, sure to send each one of them barreling to the depths of ocean beneath them, and if not they would have even more hell to pay at the direct hand of the notorious “Fork Tailed Cat” Black Anysia. "You ask for bite but you will find yourself regretting such a thing. You foolish girl. You have no idea how much blood has been spilt by the people who claim to bear the burden of justice, slaughtering who you believe is wrong without a second thought, I will show you just how much bloodshed you've caused!" Helen chanted, her people charging forward, even when the attack came, those that died did so peacefully, and with fuel in their hearts the others kept running. Helen's beauty and wisdom inspired the people beyond belief, and they would do anything for her, and she would make sure to repay them by making the fight a lot easier. Blowing the pink mist from her lips, it would creep across the field like a morning fog, dragging itself over both ships and haunting the enemies minds with terrible horrors. The weakling marines caught in the pink mist, which had reached an impressive range, all saw a giant keg of gunpowder, and in a moments notice saw a flash of flames caused by their very own feline leader, setting it off and causing a massive explosion. They all felt as if their bodies were on fire, disintegrating right before their very eyes, screaming and yelling, begging for it to stop. With this opportunity Helen's troops began to slaughter the men who were seeing, hearing, and feeling the illusion. "The spoils of war." Helen said, clearly emotional about the subject and saddened she had to go through such extreme measures. “Fuck!” Anysia watched as her troops were slaughtered, this pink mist had somehow over taken them, she swiftly leaped into the air, getting out of the way of the mist and away from the giant men. The sight of marines dying pained her to her soul, truly, but she had to press on and avenge those who’ve fallen, as well as, make sure those who are still alive don’t die at the hands of the disgusting revolutionary scourge. Anysia slammed back down to the boats deck, to avoid whatever evil effects this woman had put over her troops, she shit her eyes, it was just a hunch, but based on the Trojan horse trick, this mist seemed to cause illusions of the mind. With her eyes shut she strengthened the rest of her senses, coupled with her haki she could maneuver even better than before, sacrificing a sense to strengthen the rest, a skill she’s become known for and integrated into her normal fighting style. In an instant Anysia’s body grew somewhat larger, growing fur in small patches on her body, as well as cat ears on her head where the flames once took place. She then swiftly sliced at each and everyone of the warriors who mounted her ship, setting them all ablaze, and in a matter of moments slaughtering them all in a palm of purple fire and blood. Her flames would bring agony to her enemies and almost as though it had a mind of its own, cauterized the wounds of her fallen comrades and comforted them where they lied. “You’re disgusting, using you looks and words to make these people into slaves, tricking them with a fake facade of justice. You’re no better than any slut shaking her ass on the side of the road for tips!” Anysia remarked, disgust present in her tone as she stared Helen down as the fire and smoke parted in her wake, exposing each other to the others gaze, Anysia’s aura overtaking the area as she peered deeply into the deplorable woman’s eyes, almost as though she was condemning her soul from afar, judging her with every bone in her body. Helen clenched her fists, one of her guards grabbed her arm to hold her back as she tried to dash forward but was pulled back into the muscular mans arms. They would not allow the princess to endanger herself, no matter the cause. Her life was much more important than theirs, that was what she was always taught, even as a Spartan, the mighty warriors of the sea, she was a woman, a princess, and that somehow made her less but also more. Helen had never let that stop her, and now was no different, while her people burned and this cat danced with her yarn, meowing about matters she knew nothing about. Escaping his firm grasp she spoke "They are not slaves. They are soldiers of their own volition. They are willing to fight for a cause, regardless of my beauty or charm, they needed a leader, and I, Helen, Princess of Troy, gave them just that. I do not believe in Justice, you cat, but I believe in fairness. The marines have taken and taken, but what have they given? Protection. Against whom? Pirates run rampant and those you admire are just as corrupt as the plunderers. Marines are simply pirates with the law on their side, and as a Revolutionary, I am sworn to destroy the foolish law you've set in place." Now she unsheathed her dagger, which appeared to be made of only mirror glass, reflecting the sun in a way that briefly blinded anyone looking her way, holding it in front of her, she could see her reflection perfectly, and as could anyone else gazing into it. bringing her arm down she pointed the tip of the dagger at the fiery feline, which shined like a dazzling sun. That was when they interfered once again, her guards, giant Spartans only a few feet taller than her, and definitely not as pretty. "Princess, you can't. " One of them said, stepping forward as if he meant to take her place in battle, leaping from the Spartan ship and onto the Marine one bearing nothing but a shield. As he landed he dented the ship every so slightly and banged the golden buckler as if to gain the cats attention. "Come at me." He said with a smirk. The Spartans were an arrogant race, priding themselves on their size and strength and this man. "Mihail!" Helen yelled, the man turned but only shook his head. He wouldn't allow Helen to put her life in jeopardy until it was absolutely necessary. “They may have needed a leader, but your not it. You used your beauty and charm to weasel your way into the position, and at the end of the day, you just sit behind them on a golden throne made of their blood as they die for you over and over again!” As Anysia finished her sentence she would engulf the warrior in fire, burning him to a crisp as he would crumble to the floor before them, not even his shield left behind in the wake of Anysia’s intense and merciless flames. Anysia leaped from where she stood, jumping on the air as she launched herself to the deck of Helen, standing before her and the small remainder of soldiers she had. Anysia would punch down on the ship with a loud bang as it would begin to crumble beneath them. She would then release fire from each tip of her tail, engulfing the ship in its deep purple hue as it burned the wood to a crisp and aided in its destruction plank by plank, burning the men before they could even reach the water below and feel the relief of the cool waves, their skin flaying from their bodies as the woman’s boat would go up in flames, as did her mission. “Give up, it’s over. Rankyaku: Forked Inferno!” Anysia’s tail would swing forward in accordance to her words, two flaming blades of fire blasting towards Helen at unstoppable speeds, faster than one could react to. Anysia then jumped back to her own ship, crashing down upon the corpse of one of Helen’s beloved soldiers, watching her ship crumble as she awaited the outcome of her efforts. Practically seeing the future, she saw her solider go up in flames and with that she knew. While she could take her chances with the cat, and maybe even win, the risk to her people was much greater and she was not as this woman described. A monster. "I refuse to hide underneath a crown and sit upon a throne as my people are killed, but I cannot say it does not have purpose. Freedom. And we will receive it, to break away from the tyranny of your government but for now... now my people need to live. To see the day that occurs and so I surrender myself. I will come with you, and they will turn around and you will let them free." Helen said, sheathing her weapon and putting one hand on her heart, the other in the air. Fire came for the ship and it would burn slowly but surely, but that does not mean it couldn't be stopped. On wood it spread and spread, and Helen was viciously attacked, but she took the hits, she was a Spartan after all and though they did some damage, it did not matter. She was surrendering for the sake of her people, to save the ship and their lives, to stop the bloodshed. “Wow, for a spartan you’re weaker than I thought, though, I commend you a bit, you fell for your people in the end. I’ll make sure you get a nice slab to sleep on in impel down.” Anysia said almost mockingly as she leaped back over to where Helen stood, the ship around her burning as her remaining soldiers fell to the ground in defeat, the flames parting as Anysia three a pair of sea stone cuffs on the woman, dragging her too her ship where she would be thrown into a cell below deck, her reign of terror halted for now, though, who knew what the future would hold for the princess of Troy. The ship would begin to sail away as Anysia pulled her fallen comrades from the sea below and preparing her fallen soldiers for a proper burial once they’ve been returned to their homes, the battle won, but the war far from it. The Cat Greets The Fox A few days after the successful events of Anysia’s previous mission and her capture of Helen, princess of Troy and prominent revolutionary member, Anysia had been receiving much deserved adoration from her comrades as well as her superiors. She had rid the oceans of not only revolutionary general, but of the entire infantry she sailed with, baring a few soldiers who were spared due to the woman’s touching surrender at the hands of the ebony woman. Anysia had garnered much attention from her fellow marines, some of that attention was more distinct then others, but wether or not it was all good would soon be revealed. Anysia had been summoned to the grand office of Fleet Admiral Byakko, while he had been at her particular base on some important business. Anysia ran through the halls of the base, as she normally did, but as most would notice, she wasn’t going to her normal stops but rather to the direct highest level, some only dream of having business on that level. Anysia slowed her pass as she maneuvered through her esteemed superiors and navigated her way to easily the larges door in the entire base, one fit for the fleet admiral himself. Anysia would stand before it for a moment, a few eyes wondering just what business she had standing to the front of that particular door, but nonetheless, she gave the door a hardy knock, awaiting a response from the other side diligently, her nerves piqued, but not as much as her curiosity. There was no response; in lieu of one, the doors slowly creaked open with authority, as though they were given a command to open and the doors were made to oblige. Within the spacious office, there stood a sizable desk forged of premium timber; a fitting desk for the man who sat before it. Kurama had been reviewing paperwork, shifting through folders as his eyes perused their contents, never once did his eyes leave the page. Even as Anysia was likely to enter the moment the doors opened, the Fleet Admiral had not yet spoken nor even acknowledged her presence at the doors. But before too long, provided that she took the steps forward and stood before the man's desk, Kurama appeared to have finished going through the papers on his desk and slowly placed them down. Only then did he finally raise his head to acknowledge the woman who stood before him, curling his lips into his signature smile. "Oh, you've arrived. Did I keep you waiting?" An odd question to pose, given that Kurama had let minutes go by even as Anysia stood at his door without so much as looking at her. One had to wonder if this too was one of the Fleet Admiral's subtle games of manipulation that he played with everybody around him. Regardless, Kurama did not wait for an answer to his obviously rhetorical question, before leaning back on his seat and fully focusing his gaze upon the woman. "I'd like to hear a full report." If everybody else already knew, there was no way the Fleet Admiral did not know of her exploits, and yet, it was necessary for him to hear her fully report her take on the situation. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t THAT lo-“ Anysia halted in her words as Kurama pressed on right into the nitty gritty, wanting a full report of the events that unfolded a few days prior. “Right! As I arrived to revolutionaries set course, I was greeted by a marine ship coasting along the exact path I was sent to watch and investigate. Of course I sent a captain to get a report from the vessels commander, only to be greeted by a cannonball to the face.” Anysia mimicked a large explosion with her hands, coupled with explosions sounds before continuing on with her report. “Then it was revealed that the ship was cloaked by the Revolutionary, Helen’s devil fruit abilities, revealing itself as the very marine ship I was sent to investigate, crazy right?” Anysia said, taking a breath in her long rant, leaving it on a slight question open for answer, though, whether or not Kurama was game to answer it, soon would be revealed. As she spoke, Kurama's attention was absolute, never once wavering in his sturdy gaze as he listened to her tale. Once it seemed she paused for his input, rather than answer, he merely waved his hand as though to tell her she did not have to continue. "I already read the report, I know all the details of the case." An almost contradictory remark given that he asked her for a full report; perhaps that too was one of these games he liked to play. The man was known for being a master of provocation every time he opened his mouth. "You did well." Those words of praise soon left his lips. They were simple words, but the soft tone and warm demeanor that supported it, resembled a parent commending a child for having succeeded in some sort of endeavor. "This is the sort of example marines need to be setting, not just to their fellow marines, but to the entire world. That... ''every''thing we do, we do to service the peace and justice in this world. How does it feel, knowing you serve as a pillar of that very justice because of your feat?" “Fucking great! I’ve taken in many criminals before, but to have a spartan surrender for me, only enforced my ideals about the marines!” Anysia spoke strongly, stars in her eyes as she expressed her feelings truly, not holding back anything, even in the face of the fleet admiral. “I don’t know about you, but, I think that deserves a promotion, huh, huh?!” Anysia said jokingly, still starry eyed as she looks to where she could be in a few years, a visage of a strong woman appears in her mind. "Promotion... huh?" Kurama mused, entertaining that thought for a moment before rattling off a light chuckle. "Yeah. You're well on your way, Anysia. Rear Admiral is certainly approaching your reach." he worded vaguely, though there was enough in his statement to clarify that he had no intention of handing over a promotion to her right now; regardless of the importance behind this great feat. "That said, remember that you do not do this job for promotions or accolades. It's all about safeguarding the peace and justice that we boast as the marines. In this world, there are always greater dangers lurking in the shadows. When you defeat one enemy, three more show up to take their place. And each wave, stronger and more lethal than the last. Do not be deterred by your success, but rather, allow it to fuel your efforts in becoming stronger and seeking even greater heights." Kurama advised. “Aye aye, Kurama Sir!” Anysia pumped her fist to her chest, her enthusiasm and drive would surely now be quenched for decades to come, the drive in her eyes enough to inspire just about anyone. “I won’t let you down, Kurama. In fact, I’ll go get back to it right now!” Anysia shouted, saluting Kurama one last time before booting out of the room, swinging the large door open before taking off down the hall, leaving Kurama in the room alone, or so he would think. “Also, nice talk, Kurama!” Anysia said, peaking her head back into the room, shooting Kurama one last warm smile before heading down the hall, onto her next adventure. Kurama maintained his composed expression, with the addition of a light bead of sweat clinging to his cheek, as the woman headed off from his office. "She's... certainly something. Ah well..." the Fleet Admiral mused, leaning back into his seat as a soft sigh escaped his lips. "At least she seems determined. Such soldiers are hard to come by." he added as he picked up some of the papers he left sitting on his desk. Many of them were documents pertaining to the marines and their statistics; it was necessary for the Fleet Admiral to refresh himself on every detail in the process of making plans for the upcoming conflicts ahead. Marines like Anysia would prove crucial in securing victory over the Yonko.